Salida, CO Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Salida, Chaffee County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Salida What TALON shows

What weather hits Salida?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 71 days in the Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone and Chaffee County — the most common reported hazard around Salida, mostly in March and April. Next come high winds (19 days) and flash flooding (16 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms	71	May 2026	—
High winds	19	Mar 2026	—
Flash flooding	16	Aug 2022	Aug 2, 2007 · $2.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Jul 2015	Jul 17, 2015 · 1 death
Damaging thunderstorm winds	3	Jul 2023	—
Debris flows	2	Aug 2022	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	1	Dec 1996	—

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1996–2026 (the latest year is partial). A "day" is a date with at least one report in the Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft forecast zone and Chaffee County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Salida get?

A normal year brings about 37 inches of snow to Salida, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Salida weather station 1 mile away. The snowiest month is usually April (8.0 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
2.6	4.1	4.7	4.0	4.1	6.5	8.0	2.7

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Salida?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KPUX (Pueblo, CO), about 98 miles east. Radar beams climb as they travel, so the height of the lowest scan over town decides how low in a storm the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Salida	View
KPUX Pueblo, CO	98 mi east	9,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFTG Denver/Boulder, CO	117 mi northeast	12,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGJX Grand Junction, CO	125 mi west-northwest	13,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, with standard refraction. Mountains near a radar can block it further.

Tornado & hail history near Salida

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Salida. The strongest was an F0 on May 5, 1991, which touched down near town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on June 9, 2024, which touched down about 23 miles south of town.

Hail: 10 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on June 5, 2016.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025. Distances are to each tornado's track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita scale.

On TALON you get Salida's live radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Salida radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Salida, CO?

KPUX (Pueblo, CO), about 98 miles east. KFTG (Denver/Boulder, CO) is 117 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Salida?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Salida the lowest scan from KPUX is about 9,400 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

Is TALON's radar for Salida free?

Yes — the US radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and NWS warnings are free in any browser. Close-up radar, rotation detection and longer forecasts are part of TALON Pro.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a warning for Salida, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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